Maintenance flight keeps aircraft safe Published Jan. 20, 2009 By Michelle Hozey 305th Air Mobility Wing public affairs volunteer McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Inside Building 2201 at McGuire, the members of the 305th Maintenance Squadron's Maintenance Flight work diligently to provide scheduled inspection, repair, and return of mission-ready C-17 and KC-10 aircraft on a timely basis. The flight of approximately 120 people is made up of two types of specialists: crew chiefs and jet engine mechanics. They support McGuire C-17s and KC-10s as well as Dover AFB, Del., and Canadian C-17s; they are currently training Dover personnel on C-17 inspections since the base is new to the process. There are three major sections within the flight: Inspection, Support (Wheel and Tire and Composite Tool Kit), and Aerospace Repair. "The first phase of inspection is called the look phase," said 1st Lt. David Stone, 305th MXS Flight commander. During this phase, the aircraft is opened up and thoroughly inspected for any discrepancies. On the KC-10, a series of cables run through the aircraft that operate flight control surfaces such as flaps, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, elevators, and other moving parts that affect flight. Specialized crew chiefs in the Aerospace Repair section are responsible for inspecting, troubleshooting, rigging flight control surfaces and repairing landing-gear systems. Their job is very technical and requires a lot of experience, Lieutenant Stone said. Borescopes, camera-like devices similar to endoscopes used in the medical field, are used to identify problems inside parts of the aircraft which are not otherwise accessible. Typically, they are used to look for small metal fragments in the engines. Engines are inspected and changed if there are indications of major discrepancies or if their on-wing lifespan is nearing expiration. Typically, an engine has a life span of approximately 15,000 cycles. One cycle is the time from when the engine is started to when it is shut down. Lieutenant Stone said the last two KC-10 aircraft engines they replaced were replaced because their time was up, and they were due to be sent to a depot facility for overhaul. To keep the C-17 engines clean and to extend their life spans, a solution is blown through them during each inspection. For the C-17, jacks are used to lift the aircraft to change the tires during each inspection. The Wheel and Tire section assembles and repairs tires of C-17 aircraft for McGuire as well as Canada. After tires are worn to a certain limit, they are removed from the aircraft, broken down and the rubber is taken off. They are either disposed of or retreaded. New tires are assembled on the rims that have been inspected for structural integrity by the Fabrication Flight. Tire work for KC-10 aircraft is handled by an outside organization. After the look phase is completed, the second phase of inspection is enacted. "During the 'fix phase' we correct anything we found during the inspection," Lieutenant Stone said. Some minor refurbishment may also be accomplished to handle touch-ups and small repairs, such as scratches and dents. "Basically, it's beautification," said Master Sgt. Lawrence Walker, 305th MXS Flight chief. "We're trying to make the aircraft look clean and new." Lieutenant Stone and Sergeant Walker work together to make sure operations in the flight run smoothly. "It's a team effort," Lieutenant Stone said. "As the flight chief, Sergeant Walker brings tremendous experience. Together, we make sure people have everything they need: training, equipment, scheduling ... We handle the logistics of the flight as well as personnel issues." Each aircraft has a cycle of 120 days. It takes an average of three days to inspect and repair a KC-10 and two days for a C-17. The flight typically works on two aircraft per week. After the inspection is complete and all necessary repairs have been done, the aircraft is closed back up and towed to the flightline. There, it is given a short test run to ensure everything is working properly.